The Proposal
by Lady Asvin
Summary: After Harry makes a complete disaster of his proposal to Ginny, is there any way he can win back his lady-love? Short, fluffy, and random. Please read and review.


Disclaimer: All characters and locations, spells, objects, canon plot, etc belong to J.K. Rowling. Everything else is © Lady Asvin.

Had he known she'd be this bloody sensitive, he never would've brought it up in the first place.

"You don't even think of how _she's _feeling, do you Harry? Did it ever occur to you that perhaps she'd want the moment to be romantic? That she would have reacted differently if you'd done things the _right_ way?" Hermione was practically spewing steam from her nostrils, glowering at him; but Ron cut in.

"Lay off it, 'mione, he looks depressed enough. He's just been rejected by my kid sister, for Merlin's sake." Harry looked at him gratefully, but Hermione shot him a glare of contempt.

"She didn't really reject me," said Harry, his insides numb. "I mean… she just… cried a bit and Disapparated to the Burrow…" he trailed off, and Hermione rounded on him again.

"And you think that's positive sign, I expect, her Disapparating the moment you ask her to marry you? Should I start planning the wedding now? Perhaps send out save-the-dates and help her find her dress? _Are you mad?_" She was shrieking, and he and Ron were mildly impressed at the strength of the windowpanes in Harry's room at 12 Grimmauld Place. Ron tried to capture his girlfriend's harshly gesturing hands, but to no avail.

"Hermione – just – _stop for a moment_, I can understand why Harry's upset, but why are _you_ so upset? I know you're friends with Ginny and all…"

"She, unknown to you two, has been at the edge of her nerves all summer, hoping that Harry would ask! We've been over the romantic proposals, locations, gestures, music, flowers, chocolates, even the ring! We've spent _hours_ poring over Fleur's old bridal magazines and reading testimonials, and when you finally decide to pop the question, you do it in a _Muggle park covered in blood from your latest assignment! _And _then_, to top it off, you wonder why she's _upset_?" Ron finally succeeded in getting Hermione to sit down on the bed next to him; Harry, sitting in a squashy armchair across from them, was feeling rather uncomfortably like a prat for not having known Ginny was expecting so much out of the proposal.

"Blimey, Hermione, it's just a question…" This earned Ron a thoroughly disgusted look from the girl, who launched herself back off the bed.

"Hopeless," she said, frizzy hair and shoulders shaking in indignation. "Honestly, I'm wasting my time with you two. I'm going to go comfort Ginny. I expect you two will understand _that_, at least!" She got ready to Disapparate, but before she could, a loud _crack_ sounded from downstairs and a gentle knock was heard on the front door.

"I'll get it," said Harry, who just wanted to forget that the last twenty-four hours had ever happened. He walked down the staircase like a zombie, guts cold from the realization that he had just blown his relationship with Ginny to smithereens more effectively than a Reductor Curse could have. The gentle knock was heard again, and Harry made it to the door.

"Who is it," he called unnecessarily, for the war was long over; but it never hurt to be safe, and old habits were hard to kick.

"It's me," replied Ginny's voice, and Harry's stomach jolted. He opened the door to realize that it was raining outside, and that Ginny's shockingly-red hair was already drenched. She stepped past him into the hall, dropped her cloak on the troll's-foot umbrella stand, and gazed at Harry.

"Ginny, I'm so sorry," he began stupidly. "I didn't know – I should have – romantic…" his voice died away as he realized he was rather thoroughly butchering his apology.

"I'm sorry," he said lamely, but Ginny had thrown her arms around him, brown eyes blazing, kissing every inch of his face she could reach.

"You're – so – stupid," she said, face buried in his chest. Her arms were coiled around his neck, but she pulled back a bit to look at him.

"I'm sorry, Gin, I really am… about the park, and the blood, and…" but she had started kissing him again, and he was getting quite lost in her as she effectively ignored his pleading tone. A light bulb went off in Harry's head, and he concentrated, hard as he could, issuing a strong mental command while holding his wand behind his back with the hand he was not using to hold Ginny.

_Accio Snitch!_

The little golden ball whizzed to him, and when there was a lull in the snogging and he had replaced his wand, he grasped Ginny's left palm and got down to one knee. True, he was still covered in now-dried blood, as he had not changed his robes; true, Ginny was soaking wet and they were not even five feet into his home. But her eyes were blazing in the same manner they had when she'd first kissed him, and all of a sudden he knew that he still had a chance, that it was now or never.

" Ginny – Ginevra – Weasley," he started, well aware of how foolish and formal he sounded. "I – this is the Snitch you – would you do me the honor of-?" He clamped his mouth shut, handed her the snitch, and watched as she opened it; sparklers and popping star wheels flew out, and Harry was grateful that George had known how to bewitch them to stay inside the snitch without destroying it. He watched Ginny's face as her eyes, which had been distracted by the fireworks, were drawn back into the snitch and landed on a small, sparkling circlet of intertwined red and plain gold, punctuated in the center by a small, tear-shaped ruby.

"Oh," she emitted, and Harry seized the moment to swipe the ring and slide it onto her ring finger.

"Will you…?" he began, but Ginny had started to cry, alternately looking at the ring and looking at him. She planted a dizzying kiss on his lips, and when she responded, her voice was shaky.

"Of course I will, you idiot!" she responded, and when he swept her up in a crushing, passionate kiss, Hermione dragged Ron back into Harry's room from the upstairs landing where they had been watching.

"Now _that's_ how it's done," she said with satisfaction, and took hold of Ron's hand. "I expect we should leave them alone now, and perhaps tell the others – not your mom, of course, Ginny'll want to tell her-"

"I- I reckon so," said Ron, who was looking slightly dazed. Hermione shook her head at him and pulled him a bit closer; when they Disapparated with a loud _crack! _the couple downstairs hardly noticed.

"What was that?" Ginny asked faintly, her back pushed against a wall.

"Might've been Ron-and-'Mione," murmured Harry into her neck. "They were giving me hell about the proposal – well, it was mainly Hermione…" Ginny laughed out loud, a carefree, musical, lilting laugh that made Harry's heart soar.

"You got it right the second time around," she whispered to him, and as she pressed her mouth back to his Harry thought he was rather pleased the first time had gone badly, because the second time was going so well.

Author's Note: Thank you for reading! Please review, it would be highly appreciated! To all of my Zutara and Sparrabeth readers: I have _not_ abandoned you; it's finals time and I'm thoroughly stressed. I'm at work and forgot my schoolbooks, which is why I produced this short story, but fear not! All will be updated within the next month!


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